1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus with a platen detachably incorporated therein which serves to hold recording medium, and more particularly to an improvement of a recording apparatus of the type including a main section having an outer case in which a recording section is accommodated and a holder disposed outwardly of the outer case to hold a roll-shaped recording paper thereon.
2. Related Background Art
Generally, a conventional recording apparatus of the above-mentioned type is so constructed that a platen is disposed at the position located opposite to a recording head and recording paper is introduced into the space as defined between the platen and the recording head before recording is effected. Introduction of recording paper in that way is carried out, for instance, by way of the steps of inserting recording paper into a paper insert slit which is located at the rear part of the apparatus and then turning on a feed switch. However, even though the leading end of the recording paper is forcibly inserted into the insert slit, it is often found that it fails to be correctly caught by a feed roller in the apparatus. This means that inserting of recording paper can be very troublesome work.
To obviate the foregoing problem there has been already made a proposal as to a recording apparatus of the above-mentioned type as shown in FIG. 1. (It should be noted that this prior invention was published in Japan under Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 35410/1984.) To facilitate understanding of the present invention it will be helpful that the prior invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 1. In the drawing reference numeral 1 designates a roll-shaped recording paper. The paper 1 is accommodated in the semicylindrical recess of a paper case 8. A part of the recording paper unwound from the paper roll is delivered to a printing head 6 via a guide 9. A paper cover 2 is disposed above the paper roll 1 in such a manner as to turn about a shaft 4. A part of the paper cover 2 includes a platen portion 2a at the position located opposite to the printing head 6. A tension roller 3 is adapted to come in pressure contact with a feed roller 5 rotatably disposed in the guide 9 is carried by the paper cover 2.
When recording paper is set in the space as defined between the platen portion 2a and the printing head 6, the paper cover 2 is first opened by turning movement in the direction as identified by reference character a, a roll-shaped recording paper 1 is placed in the paper case 8, a part of the recording paper unwound from the paper roll is then placed on the feed roller 5 and the printing head 6 and finally the paper cover 2 is closed by turning movement in the direction as identified by reference character b. However, it has been pointed out that the prior recording apparatus as proposed in the above-described manner still has the following drawbacks.
Since the paper cover 2 is designed to fully cover the roll-shaped paper 1, it is unavoidably molded in the widely extended plate-shaped configuration and therefore noise tends to be generated during the recording operation.
Next, since the platen is displaced relative to the printing head at the time when recording paper is loaded in the apparatus, there is a fear of performing the recording operation in spite of the fact that the platen fails to assume the correct operative position (where the platen is located correctly opposite to the printing head and the tension roller 3 is correctly brought in pressure contact with the feed roller 5). As a result, incorrect recording operation tends to be performed.
Another drawback of the conventional apparatus is that when the paper cover 2 is displaced away from the position as illustrated in FIG. 1 by a turning movement in the direction as identified by reference character a, the recording paper is liable to be stuck to the inner surface of the paper cover 2 under the influence of wind pressure, static electricity or the like, resulting in it being separated from the feed roller 5 and the guide 9. Thus, the roll-shaped paper is removed from the paper case 8 with many difficulties. When the recording paper is to be reset, there is often a need for peeling it away from the paper cover 2, correctly placing it on the feed roller 5 and the guide 9 again and then closing the paper cover 2 by a turning movement in the direction as identified by reference character b in the drawing. Thus, the resetting operation is troublesome work. (If the paper cover 2 is closed by turning movement in the direction as identified by reference character b while the recording paper is stuck to the paper cover 2, there is the fear of loosening or dislocating the recording paper from the correct position and in the extreme case it may be damaged.)
Another drawback of the conventional apparatus is that when the paper cover 2 is opened by a turning movement in the direction as identified by reference character a, recording paper is liable to recline on the printing head 6 (due to the fact that recording paper fails to be held by the guide 9 and the lower part of the platen portion 2a) and therefore there is a fear of causing recording paper to come in contact with the printing head in the contaminated state.